Improvement in cradles



v. A. MBNUBZ. Cradle.

No. 216,432. Patented June10,1879.

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4 I ATTDRNBYS.

N, PETERS, FMOTDJJTHOGRAPKER. WAHINGTN, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

VINCENT A. MENUEZ, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF HIS RIGHT TO JOHN J. GRIFFITH, 0F SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CRADLE-IS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,432, dated June 10, 1879; application filed February 7, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINCENT A. MENUEZ, of Michigan City, in the county of La Porte and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cradles, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates specifically to improvements in swinging cradles; and the object thereof is to construct such cradles in such a manner that they may be taken apart quickly and folded compactly to adapt them for shipment and storage.

The improvements consist of details of construction and arrangement of parts fully described in connection with the drawings, forming part of this specication, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying` drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a cradle with the improvements. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line x w of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the cradle when folded.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A A are the standards t o which the cradle is hung, provided withv feet c. These are connected together by a middle rail, B, the ends whereof are joined to the standards by any of the wellknown bedstead-fasteners-such, for instance, as the dovetailed tenons on the ends of the rail entered into slotted plates in the stand ards, as shown in Fig. 1, or.in any other strong and convenient manner which will enable the parts to be easily separated when necessary. Buttons a serve to keep the rails and standards in connection, so thatl the cradle can be lifted about when necessary. The head and foot of the cradle are composed of the middle uprights, C C, to which the wings b b are hinged at one edge on either side, so as to enable them to be thrown out iiush with the uprights, as shown in Fig. 2, or turned in toward each other at right angles to the uprights, as in Fig. 8, when the cradle is folded. The bottom is divided longitudinally into two parts, D D, composed of slats c, resting on arms d d at each end, the inner ends of said arms being pivoted to the uprights C C, wl1ereby they can be folded upward toward each other in a vertical position, as in Fig. 3, when the cradle is folded, or downward in a horizontal position when the cradle is used, as in Fig. 2.

The outer ends of arms d are provided with plates c, Fig. 3, to which the lower corners of I the sides E are pivoted, so that they can be turned up at an angle to the bottom of the cradle, or folded down against the two parts' of the bottom when the latter are folded up, as shown in Fig. 3. In the ends of the sides, near the upper edge, are hooks e c', which, when the cradle is put in condition for use, are hooked into the slotted plates f, let into the adjacent part-s of the wings, and thus hold the parts together.

Near the top of the uprights on the outside are xed slotted hooks f, which are hooked over the studs f near the top of the standards, for the purpose of suspending the cradle, which. swings freely on these suspensions.

F is a treadle hinged at one end to the rail B, and connected with the cradle near the top thereof by a pitman, g, slotted at the ends for the reception of the studs in the treadle and crib.

The manner of folding and unfolding the cradle is as follows: To fold it, the pitinan is first disconnected from the treadle and cradle; then the sides are unhooked from the wings b b, the bottoms D D turned up into a vertical position, and the sides swung down par allel to them, and the wings are then swung around outside of the folded sides and against them, as in Fig. 3. The cradle is next taken from the standards, the rail B disconnected from the latter, and p1aced,with the pitman, in the cradle. In this condition the cradle and standards can be packed into a small space for shipment or storage.

To set the cradle up, the rail and standards are rst joined together, the cradle suspended from the standards, the wings swung out, the sides and bottom unfolded and connected with the wings, and when the treadle and pit man are connected it is ready for use.

Having thus described my invention, I el aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The bottoms D D', pivoted to middle uprights G and sides E E, in combination with sides -E and wings b, adapted to fold therewith, in the manner substantially as described.

2. The sides E E, pivoted to bottom D D', and adapted to fold up against the bottom, or to swing up at an angle therewith, when the cradle is in use, and provided with suspension-hooks e', in combination with bottom D D', fpivoted to uprights C, and Wings b b, hinged to the uprights, and provided With slotted plates f, to receive the hooks e in the sides, substantially as described.

3. The combination and arrangement of the following` parts, to Wit: the standards A A and connecting-rail B, the middle uprights, C, provided with hooks f', for suspending uprights from standards A, the Wings b, hinged to uprights and forming the head and foot of the cradle, the bottoms D D', pivoted on one side each to the uprights C, and the sides E E, pivoted to the swinging sides of the bottoms D D', and provided With hooks e', to engage slotted plates j" in the Wings, and thus connect the head and foot of the cradle together, and sustain the bottom in a horizontal position, all. combined and arranged to form a folding and swinging cradle, in the manner substantially as described.

VINCENT ARISTIDES MENUEZ.

Witnesses:

J. J. GRIFFITH, A. E. VANDEUsEN. 

